The present invention relates to image-based check processing systems, and is particularly directed to a method of processing a check in an image-based check processing system and an apparatus therefor.
A typical image-based check processing system includes a check processing transport which has a document track and a number of check processing modules positioned along the document track for performing specific document processing operations on document items including checks moving downstream along the document track. Each check processing module includes a number of hardware devices contained within the check processing module during operation of the check processing transport. The check processing system also includes a transport processor which executes a transport application program which is stored in memory to control operation of the hardware devices contained within the check processing modules positioned along the document track and thereby to control operation of the check processing transport.
More specifically, the check processing transport includes a hopper module into which a stack of document items are placed. A document feeder module adjacent the hopper module selectively feeds or drives each document item from the stack of document items in the hopper module to transport the document item past an imaging camera of an image capture module. The imaging camera captures an image of the document item and stores the captured image in memory. The document item moves downstream along the document track to sorting pockets of a pocket module located at the end of the document track. The pockets receive document items which have been sorted in accordance with the transport application program.
In some known check processing transport applications, each document item is also transported along the document track past a printer of an endorser module. The printer of the endorser module prints an endorsement onto each document item moving past the printer. A drawback in printing an endorsement onto each document item is that the endorsement is occasionally overprinted onto original text already on the document item. This may result in an endorsement which is difficult to read. Also, there is sometimes a requirement to capture an image of a check which has been endorsed. When there is such a requirement, the endorsed check is processed in another pass through the check processing transport to capture an image of the endorsed check. In this case, if the endorsement on the endorsed check should happen to be difficult to read, the endorsement from the image of the endorsed check would be even more difficult to read.